6. Jar with Ripple Decoration

This substantial jar, made by beating clay in a pit, is typical of A-Group pottery and in the same general tradition as the el-Ma’mariya bowl (no. 2). It was made by hand using clay tempered with chaff, which prevented it from cracking and made it light and suitable for cooling contents. The surface was first combed to give it this intricate texture. It was then coated, and burnished/rubbed with a pebble or other tool to give it a high polish. Ripple burnishing is attested in the Abkan culture of Lower Nubia (but without the strong polish), but also Badarian pottery from Egypt and the Khartoum Neolithic. The jar accompanied a female burial, who was laid to rest on her side in the fetal position with her hands on the face as if sleeping. Other A-Group vessels, a stone pigment palette near the legs, and malachite pigment were included in the furnishings. While not evidently an elite, the woman enjoyed the care of her living descendants and was provisioned well with well-crafted goods in anticipation of an afterlife. The assemblage hints at the eschatological beliefs held in Qustul society.